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If any of our SF readers find themselves in Sac Town, or decide they want an excuse to go, I want to hook you up with one of the coolest spots I’ve been to in the City of Trees. Demo Art & Books  ( demo.spot  on IG) is a Sacramento-based “multipurpose space for experimentation,”. I initially thought it was an art bookstore, which it is, but it is also an independently owned art gallery, event space, radio station, and occasional host to underground raves. As you enter the space, you’ll find its bookstore front and center, stocked with curated books on fine art, design, photography, typography, fashion, and more. They also carry local artists’ zines, poetry, essays on social movements, and so much more. Its gallery space hosts monthly exhibitions, events, and art classes taught by local artists as well. I was introduced to Demo by my beloved friend Meg, and we were both in awe of their wide variety of reads I ended up buying two editions of a zine called Spillll , made by a collective of 4 ESEA (East / Southeast Asian) queer women creatives based in London. The zines are inspired by conversations around their own dining table on food, feminism, queerness, language and women, violence, feasting, and include personal recipes, comics, and essays. I’ve been so inspired and obsessed with what they’re doing, since I’ve also been hyperfixated on the intersections between language and violence, particularly toward women. If you’re interested, you can find them @ spillll.studio  on Instagram. Meg ended up with books on logos and anarchist design. We also found out that they have a radio station called DEMO RADIO , an online radio station that hosts both visiting and local DJs and artists. They go live pretty frequently and stream straight from DEMO, behind a glass screen right by all the books. Radio reruns  can be found on their website for listening any time. To the right of the store is the gallery space, which Meg and I ended up returning to only a few weeks later for a figure drawing class. It was perfect timing for both of us, because we had just talked about getting back into sketching and reconnecting with creative impulses, regardless of how long we hadn’t done it, or our anxiety about how “good” we are. The class featured a live model at the center of the room, and was led by Esther Wang , the founder of DEMO. She was really kind and encouraging, and the series of quick-time drawings she led helped us get in front of our fear and just do it. The class was packed and everyone was locked in on sketching the model as he moved from pose to pose, pencils rapidly scratching against paper. DEMO posts calendars  of all the art classes and events they’re hosting on their website and Instagram, with classes in pottery, figure drawing, riso printing, and more! I’ve been dying to go to a riso printing class, and it’s being hosted by a local artist whose style I really adore. Risograph printing is kind of like digital screenprinting, done in layers with eco-friendly ink! The zines made by Spillll are done in riso and you can see how the medium produces a distinguishably vibrant aesthetic. Demo is run solely by independent creatives and host a bunch of insanely cool events, so make sure to check 'em out and support them if you’re ever in the area!

If you’ve kept up with me via the Rambutan Roundup, you’re probably aware that I used to live in NYC. If not, well, I have a fun fact for you! Now, the MTA is a wholly unique transit system that cannot be found anywhere else in the USA. Its success is based on walkability. Here in Phoenix, Arizona, and surrounding suburbs, we have the Valley Metro System . Is it a great transportation system? No! Does it service a large portion of the Phoenix metropolitan area? No! Could we call it the backbone of Phoenix? Absolutely not! But it’s what we’ve got.  Version of the Valley Metro Map as if it was the MTA. Calcagno Maps. I am sure you’ve also seen photos of those hilariously large and red Hop on Hop off buses in cities like London or Paris. Hopefully you can put two and two together and see where I’m going with this. Phoenix (and Arizona in general) is generally car dominated, but there’s a few walkable pockets left hanging around. We might as well enjoy them while we have them.  The Valley Metro Light Rail runs through the heart of the Phoenix metro area, connecting Downtown Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa. Trains come every 10 to 20 minutes, along a main route that links major spots like Roosevelt Row, ASU, and Mesa’s Main Street. To pay, you’ll need the Valley Metro app, where you can add money to your pass to tap into the train station. Some stations have ticketing machines, but they’re slowly being phased out (literally none of them work).  If you have a full day to do nothing but light rail around, start at 19th ave/Dunlap -> Mesa. This has the largest park n’ ride lot on the line. I’ll divide by neighborhood and topic so you can choose your own adventure. Encanto & Midtown There’s a quiet but shy demeanor around these parts. And a hint of a gay vibe. Parts of Central Avenue make you think Phoenix could possibly be walkable, and other parts make you realize just how little money you’re raking in. Land acknowledgements galore (for good reason). Food & Drink: Stop: Central & Highland Ave →  JL Patisserie  - of recent TikTok drama with Glamorama  please read it… Changing Hands Bookstore café Art & Culture Stop: Encanto/Central Ave →  Phoenix Art Museum Heard Museum Nature Stop: Indian School/Central Ave → Steele Indian School Park Weird Stop: Campbell/Central Ave -> Curious Nature  (oddities + taxidermy shop) DT PHX  This is the reason why people always forget Phoenix is the fifth largest city in the US. It’s small and unassuming, and the buildings and streets are as close as they’ll ever get in Arizona (not even that close). Many redeemable qualities, but none of them cheap.  Food & Drink: Stop: Roosevelt/Central Ave →  Songbird Coffee & Tea House The Churchill  - today at work my coworker’s dog came on camera and she said, “No Winston!” Of course I asked if he was named after Winston Churchill. He was not. He was named after Winston from New Girl. Central Records  - biased! My old roommate hosts a mahjong club here. Huarachi’s   Stop: V an Buren/Central Ave →  Ziggy’s Magic Pizza Shop  - fun fact! The business fraternity I was a brother of was banned from Stardust, the connected arcade bar. I assume we’re also banned here.  Cornish Pasty Co Art & Culture Stop: Mcdowell/Central Ave →  Burton Barr Central Library  - Phoenix Public Library put me on their IG story so I have to put it here. That and I love saving money and reading books.  AZ Opera  - check out Bold program for <40 yr olds. Go to opera for cheap. Stop: Roosevelt/Central Ave →  Roosevelt Row murals Modified Arts  - current exhibit by Katherine del Rosario Eye Lounge the Nash Stop: Van Buren/1st Ave → Heritage Square Nature Stop: Roosevelt/Central Ave → Japanese Friendship Garden  (tranquil asf) Weird Stop: Roosevelt/Central Ave → Hanny’s  (basement) (dolls) Tempe Huge college town, where no establishment has truly stood the test of time. Forks up, y’all. Food & Drink: Stop: Veterans Way/College Ave → Chuckbox  (cash only)  Stop: Dorsey Ln/Apache Blvd →  Khai Hoan Restaurant  - always got hungover pho here. Better than fresh alley!!! Haji Baba - cheap. good. off social media, so obviously very trustworthy.  Art & Culture Stop: Veterans Way/College Ave →  ASU Art Museum Gammage Auditorium (Frank Lloyd Wright–designed theater. Just to look at.) Nature Stop: Priest Dr/Washington St → Papago Park Stop: Veterans Way/College Ave → Tempe Town Lake Weird Stop: Veterans Way/College Ave → Casey Moore’s Oyster House - just kind of an odd vibe to this place.  Mesa Asiantown, USA. Also home to my favorite childhood museum. Better than Gilbert! Food & Drink: Stop: Sycamore/Main St → HMart , Mekong Plaza Stop: Center/Main St → Lost Dutchman Coffee Worth Takeaway Stop: Country Club/Main St → Tacos Chiwas  (not original location) Jarrod’s Coffee, Tea & Gallery Art & Culture Stop: Center/Main St →  Arizona Museum of Natural History Main Street murals   Nature Stop: Center/Main St → Pioneer Park (Old steam locomotive) Weird Stop: Country Club/Main St → Mesa Haunted Museum With the weather cooling down, I think it’s time for you to get on the light rail and walk around town, if nothing but to prove that the resources provided are being used by the people. I’ve basically curated a build your own light rail adventure. Don’t let all my hard work go to waste! Seriously! It lowkey took way longer than I thought it would and I take the light rail more often than most! Who to partake in this with: Friends Coworkers (team bonding) Roommates 3rd dates (DO NOT do this for a first date. What a terrible idea!) Romantic partners Your polycule or throuple Your sibling as long as they’re not a complainer Cousins within a 7 year age difference The trains run every 15 minutes and the city and its surrounding suburbs won’t explore itself. Bring water, low expectations, and smile. Worse case, you waste half a day and curse my name. Best case, you get to add something interesting to your IG story and people will think you’re interesting and cool. What could be better! *Here’s the adventure I would set off on based on the list above. Stop: Central & Highland Ave → JL Patisserie Stop: Mcdowell/Central Ave → Burton Barr Central Library Stop: Roosevelt/Central Ave → Hanny’s  (basement) (dolls) Stop: Priest Dr/Washington St → Papago Park Stop: Dorsey Ln/Apache Blvd → Khai Hoan Restaurant Stop: Center/Main St → Arizona Museum of Natural History , Main Street murals   Stop: Country Club/Main St → Mesa Haunted Museum

As the days get shorter and the nights become longer, the sizzling Phoenix heat is cooling off just in time for spooky activities to sprout in place. As an art school graduate, I am always on the lookout for one-off art classes (bonus points if they’re not over $60). I’ve taken a few across the valley, but I wanted to check back on one of my favorite Phoenix-based organizations, thems . , if they were hosting any sessions this month. thems. is a queer-led non-profit that collaborates with local artists, organizations and companies to host creative workshops and queer-focused events. They regularly host gatherings such as Fruity Poetry Night (a monthly open mic aiming to amplify LGBTQIA+ voices), writing labs, printmaking workshops, figure drawing classes and photo exhibitions. These events range from free to ticketed both at the door and on their site, making thems. accessible for all! This October, I attended my second thems. their figure drawing class at Afternoon Studios . I went to my first earlier this summer in May, which I loved. The class is meant for all skill levels, 18+, any and all materials welcomed, with minimal supplies available. I only brought my 9” x 12” sketchbook, ballpoint pens, and a few graphite and colored pencils. The atmosphere was so incredibly friendly, with neighboring participants welcoming me to borrow their supplies (this lovely woman next to me shared with me her selection of pastels). Though I had taken figure drawing classes in college, I’m pretty rusty. The host, Three Hearts Club, had started the workshop by giving some pointers on how to execute gesture drawings and capture a live model on paper. The poses started from quick 10-15 second gesture drawings, which gradually increased to the final pose lasting 35 minutes. I love affordable classes as much as the next person, but what keeps this workshop above the rest is how light-hearted and warm the fellow artists, hosts and models are. The majority of the class are also solo attendees, which can be especially daunting if you aren’t completely confident in your current artistic abilities. But everyone there is open to striking up conversations with whomever, sharing their supplies and showing one another their drawings. Leaving each workshop, I'm motivated to continue drawing and to generally create more in my daily life. I feel so much more comfortable and confident in my artistic abilities, so I look forward to definitely returning on a more regular basis.

It’s been a little over one month since Club Rambutan’s twice sold-out debut fashion show, The Pyres of Desire ,  took place in Oakland, CA. Inspired by the 7 deadly sins, TPD showcased 5 emerging Bay Area designers and 15 original looks. The showcase explored the relationship between desire and fear -- themes that also intersect with Club Rambutan’s upcoming 4th issue , Amygdala.  I had the pleasure of collaborating on this project as Assistant Stylist for the photoshoot and fashion show itself. Today I am speaking with JH Sedrome , the Lead Stylist, to learn more about his perspective and creative process. JH is an independent fashion designer with extensive experience in creative direction, styling, and producing large-scale fashion shows.  Tiffany:  As the Lead Stylist, you played such a key role, and I had so much fun helping you out as an assistant stylist on the team. Before we dive deep into your process and look at the critiques, how do you feel about how The   Pyres of Desire  show came together?  JH : It was pretty fierce. I mean, we were just gallivanting. It was simple, you know, it was cute, you know what I mean? It was exactly what it had to be. T: Yes, exactly. No, honestly, it was a really cute and successful night. For our first fashion show to have been sold out twice and to highlight the fashion talent, what more could we have asked for?  JH:  Yes! I think there were obviously some learning experiences, but that's every event in life, you know?  T:  Yes, agreed. Can you share your experience within the fashion industry outside of CR? How did you get your start?  JH :  I was 17, and I was always in fashion clubs in high school. I was very interested in being active in the [fashion] scene, and I'm only really good at picking out outfits and choosing colors, and making things look cute. So it went hand in hand, and I gallivanted with friends, and we didn't have any money. We only had our iPhones. We just got really good at taking photos using what we had. We were resourceful and we never stopped creating and dressing up.  I also went to school, but I was hating my career path. I think I was working at Gap. I created a makeshift fashion portfolio; I printed out every single project I've worked on with my friends. Then I went to Macy's, Nordstrom, and basically every local retailer with a printout packet of my work and told them about my interest in pursuing a styling career.  T : I love that. Putting yourself out there is important, especially in any creative line of work. Where did that get you?  J:  It actually led me to multiple rejections. But [...] It was still important because doing that led me to form connections, and people know of me and my work now. I was always kept in mind, so whenever things did open up, I was the first person people called. People just threw my name around [because]  I continued to put myself out there in those environments. But as of two weeks ago, I have switched jobs and slightly switched career paths. T : Oh my gosh. Wait, I'm curious. What's your new job now? J:  I am now managing this interior design showroom, so now I get to just sit in a beautiful showroom and it's not folding sh*t. [laughs] People come in and they move the furniture and I get to sit on the furniture and I arrange furniture around like “oh that rug would look cute here.” Interior design and fashion go hand in hand; there are similar aspects.  T : Yes, I do see that intersection, and congratulations! I love this for you. Okay, can you talk more about your inspiration and creative process in both curating the ambiance of the venue space that we had? For example, your idea of utilizing the drapery. J : I take a look around and intuitively gravitate towards things that are simple and [effective]. When you pick one color and you put that color everywhere, it's easy to build off of that. It’s not only appealing to the eye because everything looks cohesive, but it also cements branding. Another way I look at set design is to just fill up space, thinking about easy concepts we can do in tight time constraints.  T : Period. You put practicality at the forefront when you helped with the set design.  J:  Yes, practicality and drama.  The best shows are always simple in design, and it's just the people that bring the dramatic flair.  T : What's your inspiration, creative process behind styling the looks? For example, when you and Maria created the styling cards at the very beginning, [...] how did you guys come up with different makeup looks or hairstyles? J:  What’s great about styling is how collaborative it is. It’s important that the designers also have their own creative freedom and vision of how they want their garment to come across. When I saw the garments, I knew things were going to change. I think that is just a fact of the matter.  And because it's more about creating like completed looks. A lot of them [designers] made dresses, so intuitively deciding the hair needs to be pulled back to highlight the dress.  “There are times when you don't need to style that much because it's a good dress. There's no need to add.” T: Yes. That's true. We also collaborated with local jewelry brands such as  Metal Thoroughfare and Descry SF  for the runway looks. How do you approach balancing the clothing accessories so that each piece kind of complements one another rather than overpowering the other?  J:  Once again, practicality is something I always think about. For example, the knitwear pieces shouldn't have the jewelry because it's gonna get snagged and [the fabric] is delicate. This was one of those cases where being practical took precedence over aesthetic styling. Many of the designers had strong aesthetics on their own. At the first fitting, it was hard to be able to truly accessorize and style when many of the pieces were unfinished. [All I could do] was offer words of encouragement and [suggest] my ideas. A lot of the designers were pretty receptive and did include some of the notes I had from the fitting.  T : You also designed a sickening dress for Joanne that started the show. It was like this layered wrap dress with pale shades of blue and gray, right? Tell me more about the creative process behind designing the dress. J:  That look was actually made the night before because we scrapped the original look last minute. Initially, I had designed a long coat, but I can't do a coat when it's hot outside. The weather was giving summer, so the coat did not fit the vibe.  I started playing around. The piece is literally just a tank top with a train. I used the extra fabric to wrap around her multiple times and tied knots. There was a slip dress underneath that had like a flounce trim. I combined premade pieces and made some last-minute edits. I had all these pieces from previous collections. The hair and makeup were heavily discussed between Joanne and I. Being barefoot was on the mood board because we were trying to pick out shoes, but none of the shoes were hitting with that look.  For the hair, we had a couple of ideas. We ended up doing an updo with face-framing pieces. The night before, we were just gallivanting, trying on the look, she walked back and forth, and then that's when we were able to make changes as we saw the garment in motion.A key portion is watching how it moves and taking functionality into account.  T:  And how did the idea of Joanne starting the runway with her screaming come about?  J:  The show was inspired by the 7 deadly sins, so the scream reminded me of Wrath. I wanted an authentic scream because I think that true blue, young designer history is having those like “you just had to be there” moments.  T:  Yes, it definitely was one of those moments, and the scream set the tone for the entire show. Now let’s  get into the look critiques. What were your favorites of the night?  J: For Mel Lamore , they brought symmetry and drama to their pieces. I knew they had theater experience, [too]. I loved their pieces, but we did need to [make] some tweaks. For example, they created these beautiful trains, but they were a little too long for functionality. The corsetry was beautiful and their looks, overall, were incredibly symmetrical. T: Mel’s looks were personally one of my favorites! I also loved how the Metal Thoroughfare’s jewelry elevated the pieces, like Kira’s [Wrath] look? Insane.  J: For Tianna , I’d say they had the most range design-wise and most experimental with silhouettes. They designed two dresses, a coat, and very abstract pants using unconventional materials. I appreciated their dedication to showcasing their Filipino heritage through their pieces.  Mar’s two-part Pride look was my personal favorite of Tianna’s, though. That was actually peak styling, a prime example of how much styling can really amp up a piece. I saw Mar’s hair getting done, and then I saw the hair getting completely covered up in fabric. I thought, “Wait, hold on. Why did you even do his hair? We need to highlight the hair, so I suggested we pull the headband back a little to show some of his hairstyle. Then Tianna came in, saw that we had changed it, and came running back with some red hair clips they brought, which were the perfect final touch.  “It’s fun to see how different people work with their design process and to see it on the model, and experimenting with the look until we get it right. At the end of the day, styling is just gallivanting and playing dress up and seeing what looks good.” T: Yes, I love that you’ve used gallivanting as a way to describe the creative process. Okay, the next designer is Erika Hurtado .  J: Erika’s looks were so impressive because she managed to use knitwear with other textures simultaneously. Her looks had such a great use of texture, and the gray/cream knitwear for the Sloth look on Vineeta was sooo fab. As a stylist, that cream knitwear look is an immediate pull for a client.  T: Yes, I agree 100%. I also loved how she incorporated two masks into her Envy and Wrath looks, very avant-garde. Let’s move on to Cole ’s looks.  J: Cole's looks were minimal but were fun with some styling touches. Like, for example, Biana’s Lust look was all white, but the fabric was wrinkled on purpose with some royal blue gloves, which I thought was a fun touch. Cole had his own vision of how he wanted everything to look.  T: Let’s move on to the last designer, Joey Ehren .  J: Joey’s looks had good construction; they were palatable, and I appreciated how clean the pieces looked. J: I also want to share a few words about what I got from this [entire] experience, too.  “To genuinely get to connect with all of these creative individuals and to take up space with complete strangers through design gave me pure uninhibited joy. Getting to live off your fantasies in such an immediate way and to run around and style with everyone. To bond, style, laugh, and say dumb, silly jokes behind the stage or in between shoots is what fashion and creative collaboration are all about.”  T: I agree. I loved being in an atmosphere of just creating and also community. Everybody was just so excited to be there. I have one last question for you. Which sin do you think you embody the most?  J: It's Libra season, so I'm gonna say Lust.  T: Okay, period. That's real. Thank you so much for joining me today to talk a little more about the behind-the-scenes styling of The Pyres of Desire . This is just the beginning of CR’s fashion presence!

I’m writing this as we speak, with stacks of academic memorabilia around me. I wish I were joking. I’m really lucky to be able to have enough space in my house to even store all these documents from every year of my high school and college years. I’m sure other people would have wished the same, but may have already disposed of or lost them for one reason or another. At the same time, I wonder if there’s any point to holding on to all this stuff. I think about the time or a day when I’ll finally be able to sit down and take a long, hard look at the past and reflect on all the things that I’ve accomplished. But when? Looking back at yearbooks and assignments, the things that once had so much importance are no longer there—homework assignments with varying degrees of percentage, notes and doodles that I no longer remember who made them, and the people you thought would still be your friends to this day are just remnants in photographs. It’s a bit jarring to see how much I still have not figured out. I was doing the best I could during that time in my life. In the same way, I’m doing the best I can right now, figuring out things and learning as I go. But then I start to remember why I’m looking through all this stuff in the first place: I have to throw some of this away. It’s taking up way too much space. My chest tightens, and I start to zone out at the thought of it. Even though I know time has passed, it feels hard to release the essence of sentimentality, even the things that remind me of some pretty awkward and tough moments. A report card I hid because of disappointment. Photos with people in the past that I no longer talk to. Event flyers from prom and graduation reminded me of the good times, but also times when I struggled to fit in.  – I wonder if this is just something passed down from generation to generation—the hoarding habit. Sometimes, I complain about the absurdity of my mom stockpiling and buying so much food. But what else can she do? What other life does she know? To have everything taken away from you and to have to split food between family members is obviously worse than having a room stacked with food from floor to ceiling; it’s a luxury.  But you’re safe now , I want to say. You don’t have to worry anymore . But what if? What if the prices go up? What if there is an emergency? The fears come back, and my reassurance doesn’t mean much. Minimalism is a concept that is mostly attractive within affluent societies, because everything is in excess and easy to obtain. Minimalism only works when you don’t have to worry about your world changing overnight, or government and political upheaval, or food shortages, or environmental disaster. What good is design and aesthetics if you’re hungry? – I opened up my red notebook, which my friend gifted me in my first year of university. I read a journal entry from 2020, back when I was navigating the pandemic, talking to professors, playing board games with housemates, and worrying about hearing back from internships. Would I want to go back to that time? I don’t think I would; I think I’ve grown so much from back then. But to be back in that apartment one more time, watching my roommate play Splatoon on the couch, hearing the clatter of pots and pans in the kitchen, the smell of a lighted candle, and a housemate’s cooking in the air. That’s what I miss. I start sorting documents into two piles, one to throw away and one to keep. Going through the stack of papers, decision fatigue starts to set in. What should stay and what should go? I’m afraid of changing my mind and throwing everything back into the box and shoving it into its same corner in the garage, just to open it back up in a few years and repeat the cycle all over again. I am afraid that one day, I will look back and regret throwing these papers away. But what good is the memorabilia if you never look at them? What good is the stockpile of canned food that is now four years expired? They are no longer of use, and that’s okay. From "Goodbye, Things" by Fumio Sasaki These things were important in my life at one point, and at the same time,  they have served their purpose. It definitely doesn’t make disposing of them any easier, but I’m taking baby steps. I start by shredding a sheet of high school homework I have long forgotten.

I’m 10 minutes late to a family affair. Well, sort of. I spent a lot of time visiting Oakland in my childhood to see my mom’s family. They settled there in the 1980s and have been living there ever since. After years of looking out of the car window on the way to my grandma’s, it is surprising to see how much of the city has changed. Even though I was born and raised in the Bay Area, I realized that I hadn’t put in as much effort as I wanted to learn about my family’s past. Sure, there were the immigration stories that my parents briefly shared when asked, but pressing for further details was always met with resistance or questions about my preoccupation with the past. For my parents, it’s about looking forward and thinking about the now. Looking back at the past is a luxury. Additionally, Oakland has been a city used by media outlets as a scapegoat – an example of a city that could do better, one that has a higher crime rate. In reality, the people of Oakland cannot be reduced to a monolith; the people here have resilience and tenacity. They have stories to tell if people are willing to listen. Going to the Oakland Historical Center was my first step to take in diving deeper into the world that I grew up in, to learn more about my parents’ connection to the city’s history, and to learn more about the people that make up Oakland. I take the elevator to the second floor. There are two glass cases with posters and magazines from the historical center archives, such as the Festival of the Lake posters from the 80s and 90s. Rows of bookcases with books about Oakland line the walls, and a few tables and chairs are in the room for visitors to sit in. Emily, a librarian working at the OHC, greets me as I walk into the center. I apologize for my tardiness, but it looks like I’m the only patron in the center. Lucky me! She walks me over to the cabinet and a stack of books and folders that she prepared just for me. All the books prepared for my visit. Emily walks me through the material she selected and gives me a brief overview. I ask if I could see the household records mentioned on the website, to which she agrees and leads me to the Map Room, lined with shelves carrying giant books dating back to the 1800s. I give her the address to my dad’s old residence back in the late 1980s and she scans the sections to see the street it fell under. The Town has drastically changed, but some of the structures are still the same. For this specific map, Emily highlights the colors of each of the buildings and what they represent. Small symbols and icons represent the entrances and exits, what type of building they were, etc. I return to the history center to start reading through the documents. I read about the Pacific Renaissance Plaza, which was funded by a Hong Kong financial backer, and how there were disagreements about control and competition over the building. I see this photo of the family that ran Tin’s Market, one of the supermarkets in Oakland, Chinatown. As I am flipping through the articles, I spot one that mentions a businessman changing his last name from Ly to Lee to make it easier for American customers to pronounce. Same with my family. As I read more and more of the article, I realize that the businessman has a lot of similarities to my family history… the businessman arrived the same year as my family members, the businessman had the same number of family members arriving…Could this be a relative? I look in the folder to see a page left unturned; I forgot to check for other pages to the article. Flipping the page, I am greeted with my uncle’s picture. I feel goosebumps on my skin. I never would have imagined seeing a relative in a news article, but seeing it physically in front of me, the black and white portrait staring back at me, I feel a sense of pride and connection to not only my family but the historical center and the city. So, the conclusion to all this? I am really glad that I took the time to stop at the historical center, and I definitely received more than I expected. The visit left me wanting to explore the center further and raised many more questions for me. What about the other communities in Oakland during this time? How did different communities interact with one another during the 1980s and 1990s? Who were the people behind the newspaper that wrote about my uncle? I realized that there is still a lot more to uncover. It does take time and patience to sort through these papers and documents but… who knows? A spontaneous trip and a curiosity to learn may lead you to find out more than you expect. Learn more about the Oakland History Center here. https://oaklandlibrary.org/ohc/ Read Oakland’s Chinatown by William Wong .

Welcome to Club Rambutan’s Breaking it Down (BID) series, where we shed light on the different areas of operations that make our organization the following three things: A Creative Collective (Event Planning, Social Media, Rambutan Roundup Newsletters) A Digital Residency (Cohorts, Artist Resource Group (ARG), Alumni) A Magazine (Formatting, Shipping Logistics, Packaging Design) This article will explain all the components of Club Rambutan’s Digital Residency . First, let’s start with terminology, with some examples from Cohort 2’s slide deck for Onboarding Day: Cohort: A group of individual artists who are selected to join the Digital Residency. A cohort number is the same as its issue (i.e. Cohort 2 artists are in Issue 2). Also refers to the overall 6 month timeline that it takes to produce one magazine. A cohort officially begins on Onboarding Day and concludes with a “launch party". Cohort Artist: Each artist in a cohort must complete an original work within their time in residency. Their final piece must align with the issue’s theme and meet our print standards in order to be published (for free!). They primarily work with the Creative Director and Artist Resource Group (ARG). Alumni: Once a cohort artist successfully completes their digital residency, they remain in our alumni network. Will still retain access to the ARG’s job boards and continue to be featured on ‘ our creatives’   page. Next, let’s go over Club Rambutan’s selection process for Cohort Artists. Our Cohort Artist applications are always announced via our official Instagram account ( @club.rambutan ) and are integrated onto the home page of our website. We usually leave the apps open for two weeks, and then the Creative Director and Editor in Chief will review all the final submissions together. All applicants will receive an update afterwards, but those chosen for the next and final stage of the vetting process will be invited to a video interview with both leaders within the following week. Questions are not provided to interviewees ahead of time, but the final selections for the upcoming cohort of our Digital Residency are heavily influenced by how the artist aligns with our three guiding principles: ( learn more about them on our digital residency page! ) Skill Sharing It Takes a Village Creating for a Higher Purpose Overall, Cohort Artists are imperative to the production of each issue for the mag. Their physical artwork is more than just the content you’ll read in the magazine, but are powerful stories and experiences. This is the exciting part! Because we know that our Cohort Artists come from all sorts of intersectional backgrounds, by providing them with a very broad theme to work with, the magazine collects very different interpretations of what it means to each of them. Finally, here’s what our Digital Residency can offer our Cohort Artists. Unlike typical artist residencies, we are based completely online. Although our long term goal is to one day establish a brick and mortar studio, for now our co-working space looks like biweekly Zoom meetings with our Creative Director and Artist Resource Group (ARG). Here’s some things we’ve done so far, want to revisit and improve, and have plans to do… Hosted a professional panel for Cohort 1 with speakers Pacqui Pascal , Ana Peralta Chong , and Nidhi Naroth . Created a social media campaign in Cohort 2 for our artists to directly sell their work to our followers (and keep 100% of all profits!). Researched for and collaborated with our cohort artists to curate exclusive monthly job boards, which began in Cohort 3. Did we mention all cohort artists get a free copy of their magazine? Secure donations from art suppliers to send free welcome packages to our future cohort artists. Keep finding other ways to continue inspiring our cohorts! The overall org chart depicting Club Rambutan’s updated official team structure. Click here to view more. Interested? Cohort Artist Applications are always announced on our Instagram and on our site’s homepage, usually every 6-7 months. Stay tuned! For more questions, shoot us an email at hello@clubrambutan.com.

Shoutout my Hindu girls since the acronym for this is giving divine spiritual cosmos. Unfortunately, we’re not meditating, we’re reflecting on our very first art show that we put on at the end of August! Special shoutout to Sam, our events lead on the Phoenix team. You never really understand how hard it is to organize an event until you have to do it yourself… and find the venue… find a curator… negotiate… come hours before the show to supervise the show installation…send out volunteer sign ups…juggle the artists, volunteers, and Club Rambutan members who need to talk to you during the show… and so on.  Only My Honesty Matters was a one night only exhibition at Casa Cala that featured 10 Arizona-based artists exploring fear in its rawest form through sculpture, embroidery, mixed media, drawing, etc. As for the why, in Phoenix, it’s easy for curators and spaces to fall back on what’s known, creating a one dimensional homogeneous art scene. However, familiarity breeds contempt — the people of Phoenix crave change more than they know. Of course, it’s never been about a lack of artists (look at how many people still flock to art school!), rather a lack of access and opportunity for emerging artists to showcase their work. It's crucial to create these opportunities for them. In fact, some may say that is likely one of the three pillars of Club Rambutan.  We searched far and wide for a curator and ended up with a Cohort 3 Alumni, Destiny Montoya, who had a background in curation. See what you could potentially do if you apply to be an artist for our next cohort? Club Rambutan supports our alumni cohort artists after their digital residency, as we look to invest in our community to learn from each other. We WILL continue to create these opportunities. Our artists WILL be supported. Growth mindset or bust.  A little note from Sam - For many of the artists featured in OMHM, it was the first time showing their art publically. These artists killed it and I am so honored they trusted us to put their work on display and Destiny’s curatorial vision. Seeing their work complement each other in the space was truly beautiful and inspiring. And now back to me! I bravely and courageously volunteered to work the front for the first hour of the event, so I can provide some real, raw, behind the scenes commentary. It was sunny and hot. I didn’t know what the artists looked like — have you ever noticed that artists never put their face on their Instagrams? Probably because they have better things to do — and tried to charge each one of them for entry until they awkwardly informed me they were in the show. My bad! Once my hour was up, suddenly the sun had set. Sometimes, life is unfair.  0.5 selfie: me volunteering when it was peak sunny. 1.0 photo: me next to Karl-William Klenk's dumb god , 2025. My personal favorite art piece was the one I was sitting by during my volunteer hour, which is just another example of how familiarity is the death of us all.  I spoke (instagram DM’d) with some of the artists from the show to get a little bit of background on their inspiration and process behind their piece(s).  Commentary from select artists* Presley. ruined , 2023 staples, sign paint, mixed media two-three,  2023 nails, mixed media, wood, resin something inseparable from my work is the influence and techniques developed by genesis p-orridge. their use of the cut-up in collage and sigilization is vital to my work. my work often takes form as ritual and magic. To the right: two-three,  2023. Julia Marciana Untitled , 2025 Graphite on Cotton March 2024. I was learning about prehistoric art and how people made art to mark their spiritual visions in my art history class when I drew a sketch of a girl in a desert with the sun setting and a feather. In the sketch, the girl is nude, crawling in the desert while the sun is setting on her and a feather is floating down. The feather represents freedom as it has fallen loose from a bird. The desert imagery embodies isolation, specifically the kind felt as a girl living in that type of landscape. At the time, I was feeling really stuck and in pain, so I encapsulated those feelings with the flat, pure line forms our ancestors were once drawing on their walls.  When Destiny asked me if I had any pieces that invoked fear, I said yes but I’ll need to make a new one. I took that original drawing, upped the scale to about 30” x 40”, and shifted the perspective — almost like changing the camera angle — so you would see the fear and despair on the woman’s face.  I used pencils to build the drawing up, then shaved some thick lead pieces down into shavings and mixed it with water for the ground part of the image. It took me about a month to finish. Not only was it my first full graphite piece but it was my first on such a large scale. The piece to me is about how being a woman is to be vulnerable in this world. Being vulnerable is powerful. I hope you get lost in it while your eyes move along from her face to her body to the dusty sun down to her cupped hand to the feather. Izzy Rosales When I Sleep, My Guardian Angel Steps Out,  2023 Ceramic, fabric, first, candles I was incredibly honored when Destiny reached out to me to showcase my piece “When I Sleep My Guardian Angel Steps Out”. I had shown this previously at my collective’s (omnisimul) first show a few years back where it was born from a place of immense loss and grief. When Destiny asked if I would be interested in showing it again, I said that I would love to recreate it to be more reflective of the time and feelings that have passed. Originally, there had been shards of stained glass in each of the bed posts. In this rendition, I carved notches out for candles instead. The viewing experience changed into one that was more interactive. Each time I changed the candles, I had the opportunity to speak with folks about the work and invite them to touch the piece. I teach ceramics to kids so I’m pretty desensitized to curious hands touching my work (lol). In fact, I encourage it because ceramics is such a tactile medium. The number one question I get asked about the piece is, “Is that [made out of] wood?”. It comes as a shock that mud can have such a transformative property but that’s exactly why I’m so drawn to it. *Commentary has been cut down for readability.  Artists and pieces not shown in this article can be found HERE .

In July my best friend, Adi, moved 800 miles away from sunny Phoenix, to the windy Bay Area. This move was very sudden and I was heartbroken! Someone that I talked to everyday about everything and nothing, is no longer a quick phone call for last minute plans away. I have never been in a long distance romantic relationship, but here I was entering my first long distance friendship. I am not someone who has had a close relationship with my family, my mom being the only one I talk to and see on a regular basis. For me, my friends make up the entirety of my life and my world. I am very proud to have multiple friendships that have over a decade of history, laughs, tears and memories built together. I go through great lengths to keep my tight knit community in my life.Though my friendship with Adi isn’t ten years worth of history, she is someone who I felt as though I’ve known my entire life. When Adi and I met, it felt as though my long lost sister had found me. I found someone who had the same little weird thoughts about how the world worked. Another person who couldn’t wait to try the new Vietnamese takeout spot around the corner and taste one of everything. Someone who I could endlessly giggle about how unserious life is, and didn’t mind a weird and off-putting movie night marathon.  Adi and I both work together at an office job which transitioned to a fully remote position around the time she had moved. Once she moved away, we started a routine of facetiming while we went through our morning workflows. These calls reminded me of our days in the office, our desks next to each other, yapping about our current life dilemmas and new hyperfixations. Her talking about her new favorite brewery she stumbled across on an afternoon walk, and myself a new pottery class I decided to start taking over the weekend. Even the moments of silence were so comforting knowing that my bestie was on the other side.  A major part of Adi and I’s friendship was our reality tv nights. There’s been countless hours Adi and I have spent discussing and dissecting the dynamics of the toxic Love Island relationships, the social strategies of the players on The Traitors, and if either one of us felt we had enough of a social game to win Big Brother. Those 800 miles distance couldn’t stop us from our joined reality tv obsession, and luckily the current season of Big Brother is the exact mess to be a new endless topic of discussion. We started a new tradition of each of us ordering takeout, and live texting as we watch an episode. It may sound silly, but these moments make my heart a little less lonely. My personal favorite remedies to stay in touch with long-distance friends: Keep your ritualistic hangouts alive . Order your favorite takeout meals and eat them together on facetime. Live reacting to movies/shows.  Start with any Big Brother or Love Island season. Send letters . Accompanied with little trinkets a la Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Scheduling out a weekly call . Perfect for Type A personalities such as myself, and also extremely helpful with conflicting schedules and fast-paced lives.  Also remember these are your friends, you are never a bother to them for sending a silly photo of an object you found in an antique shop and it reminding you of them.

Whenever quality in fashion comes up, fast fashion is almost always at the center of the conversation. But what many people fail to realize is that the quality in new age luxury fashion has declined and could even be comparable to other fast fashion brands.  Just earlier this month, fashion influencer Wisdom Kaye, bought a sweater and vest from Miu Miu and both pieces arrived broken. Miu Miu quickly sent him a replacement for both pieces; Kaye filmed himself doing an unboxing for the replacements, and the button on the vest broke  on camera. Truly a PR nightmare, even for such a renowned designer brand like Miu Miu. But Miu Miu is not the only fashion house where quality and craftsmanship have worsened over the years. Many consumers report that designer clothing is less durable or well-made than ever before, even as prices increase. In a Vogue Business survey , a large proportion of respondents said that luxury “no longer means long-lasting quality product .” “You [the consumer] are no longer paying for the design or craftsmanship, but just the brand label.” Yet it wasn't always this way. Luxury was once aligned with artistry and detail, which is why buying second-hand luxury has seen such a resurgence this year. The contrast between the craftsmanship of a 2006 Miu Miu Matelassé and its 2025 edition highlights just how much quality has shifted over the years. A major factor behind this decline in quality is scale. Luxury brands are no longer small ateliers creating and designing exclusive pieces. They’re now global businesses scaling out thousands of pieces every week. Quality control becomes harder when garments are now mass-produced.  Everyone is buying their vintage designer on Depop now for a fraction of the price and  the quality is miles better. Shoppers are turning to e-commerce platforms like Depop, TheRealReal, and Vestiare Collective. I personally bought my 2004 Miu Miu Vitello bag from TheRealReal for $230 in 2023, and she is still pristine. And if it’s not vintage designer, people are favoring buying clothing from smaller, independent designers with more ethical ways of production.  Survey from Amy Odell's Substack I think there’s a magic behind scrolling through TheRealReal and just scrolling through the vintage pieces they have. This also applies to thrifting IRL. I was literally able to find an Issey Miyake Pleats Please  top fo r $4  at my local EcoThrift.  The hunt itself becomes a part of the experience, and I always get extra excited when I see a piece that resembles something I have on my wishlist or Cosmos board. It’s also how I discovered other smaller brands and just pieces I won’t be able to find today.  Also, the fact that everyone is thrifting now rather than going to the mall is a  recession indicator… but it’s also great because it’s a sustainable way of shopping (which we love). The amount of grails I have found thrifting has been insane, and it has made me feel much more connected to fashion as a whole. As someone who has been going to Goodwill with my dad as a child, I love that vintage and buying secondhand has become such a big shopping trend. It’s important to note that in the U.S. alone, about  11.3 million tons of textiles end up in landfills annually. Shopping second-hand is not only a fun way to shop for good quality vintage at low price points but it also reduces waste and extends the life of clothing.  Even though there is a quality decline in modern luxury, it has opened the door to more sustainable shopping habits and an appreciation for vintage luxury. More and more people are choosing to shop on Depop or supporting slow fashion brands rather than buying new, which is great for both the planet and curating personal style!

Do you remember the first band you fell in love with? An artist whose music, no matter how long you went without listening to it, is so engrained into your being that singing along is simply muscle memory. This past month, I flew to windy San Francisco and attended the Long Live the Black Parade anniversary tour to see my childhood favorite band, My Chemical Romance. I was first introduced to My Chemical Romance around the age of nine, when the Danger Days album was released. I became an instant fan and made it my mission to memorize every lyric from every album, watch every interview, and purchase any MCR merch in sight at Hot Topic. I remember making mixtapes on burned CDs for my friends that contained all my favorite songs from Bulletproof Heart to Disenchanted and Thank You For the Venom . I felt like I discovered a beautiful gem and wanted to share my treasure with everyone. Seeing an artist be outspoken about their fears of death and dying and the bluntness of their battles of addiction, was something I never saw others talk about. I didn’t know there were people with similar experiences to mine, and didn’t feel ashamed to speak on their struggles. I felt like I needed to send 100 thank-you letters to four emo boys who didn’t even know I existed. My emo stan era was cut short, however, when the band announced their breakup in 2013. I was heartbroken, but life went on, and I slowly stopped listening to their music. I gave away my old t-shirts, their CDs collected dust on my shelves, and my beloved emo boys became a distant memory. However, the emo kid persists. Though I knew MCR inside and out, I never gave their debut album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, a chance. I one day had the urge to give it a try while working my day job, and I played it from start to finish. This changed everything. The rush of hearing Gerard Way’s voice again sent waves of childhood memories flooding back, and the charm of a lowly produced work of music was encapsulating. The Dawn of the Dead inspired track Early Sunsets Over Monroeville being a particular standout with Frank Iero’s soft, yet melancholic, melody during the verses. I couldn’t stop and had to listen to their entire discography. I felt as though I was experiencing their art for the very first time again; everything felt somehow new and different, but tearfully nostalgic. I understood their art in a new way that I was unable to comprehend as a child. I felt like I was being embraced in a warm hug from an old friend who found their way back to me. That night I looked to see if they had any upcoming shows, and they had announced their stadium tour that day. Tickets went on sale and were bought instantly - trip planned, hotel booked and all. Standing in Oracle Park with my MCR hoodie was surreal—the months of anticipation had finally led to this moment. Within the first few notes of The End , the tears instantly flowed. I couldn’t believe I was hearing the soundtrack of my childhood and surrounded by so many others who could shout the lyrics I had spent hours memorizing in middle school. I was overwhelmed, but I felt so much love and gratitude in my heart that I wanted to scream the lyrics that had helped me in ways I couldn’t begin to articulate. Through my smudged eyeliner tears, I just knew I had to sing each lyric as loud as I could.

ALREADY LONGING FOR MY FAVORITE SPOTS AROUND TOWN After living in Downtown Phoenix for 8 years, I’m starting a new chapter in my life as I move to San Francisco to continue higher education. As I look on to what my new life will look like in a new city, I can’t help but think about my local Phoenix staples. I lived most of this time without a car but have been lucky enough to live within walking or light rail distance from these places. For my last little hurrah, I’ve decided to spend some time at the spaces I’ve frequented over the past few years and share some reasons and memories of why I enjoy these places. Stinkweeds Records For a local and independent record store, Stinkweeds Records keeps it real and local. The store employees are always excited to help you find a new artist or put you on to some of their favorite albums. My favorite part of going is seeing all the local Arizona music on display. I’ve always found record stores to be a magical place where you can discover new sounds and uncover new artist obsessions, and Stinkweeds continues to foster the love for music in Phoenix. Events such as listening parties or album release parties are also a great way to meet people and give you something to look forward to. Fàme Caffe Fàme has been my go-to food spot for years. As a lover of eggs and places that sell breakfast all day, this is my usual recommendation when people are looking for plans. Especially, if you had a late night out and looking for something to cure your headache. My usual order is: Horchata Latte Parisian Omelet OR Veggie Scramble (both pictured here) This restaurant has heard me and my friends talk about various topics: analyzing text messages from different crushes, gossiping about people we knew from high school or college, exploring the many ways democracy could progress, and even figuring out plans to quit jobs or find new opportunities to better suit us. If walls could talk, Fàme would have a lot to say about me that’s for sure. Kahvi Coffee When this place opened up the previously named Monorchid, I will admit I was a bit skeptical. But after time, Kahvi became the spot I would frequent when I was working on essays in undergrad, the place I would decompress after my first morning interviews when I graduated, and where I would bring work home on the weekends. With free Wifi, great food, and a sweetened Matcha latte I love, I’ve spent hours in Kahvi’s great atmosphere. And a perk for me, it is only a few blocks away from the light rail and a 15 minute walk from my apartment. Club Rambutan has had a few meetings here, and even our most recent team photo shoot was taken here! Groundwrk Last year, I had a little health scare as I realized my mild scoliosis was definitely affecting my body. After doing physical therapy for a few months, I decided to look for workout studios across the valley that I could try- I am not someone who can go to the gym on their own and be productive. For a few months, I tried different studios but only one stuck out to me as a place I could be comfortable in and that was Groundwrk. They offer Lift (HIIT workouts) and Ride (spin classes) at their studio all throughout the day with special themes or target work out areas. I found it to be especially fun as the studio is LGBTQ+ owned and operated, which means you already know the music is going to be full of bangers. I’ve spent pretty much every week here now for over a year and I’m a little nervous about finding a new place that makes me comfortable to be sweaty around a lot of people. Heard Museum I spent the past three years working for the Heard Museum in various capacities and have made lifelong friends out of my colleagues and artists I have met during my time there. Working there made me learn more about Indigenous arts and crafts, while also meeting amazing changemakers and outspoken artists.  Every year, the Heard Museum hosts the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market which has become the time of year I look forward to the most. I don’t anticipate being able to fly out every March on my law school budget so I’ll truly miss getting to visit and support over 600 Native artists. Palabras Bookstore Looking for a local place to find banned, queer, and revolutionary books? Palabras is the spot to not only look for new reads, but to also experience book clubs, attend workshops, and listen to visiting authors. Throughout the past few years, this spot has also been the place I’ve met up with friends and organizers to meet in a safe space to talk freely about our views about the world. Burton Barr Library Going to the library has always been a calming activity for me. Growing up, the Surprise library was where I spent my summers and weekends so when I moved to Phoenix, making this local library my third space was inevitable. In undergrad, I would do my studying here when I wanted to get away from campus and when I was studying for the LSAT, this became my place to seek quiet. With study breaks, I found myself looking over the featured book shelves and reading excerpts of books to add to my neverending list of books to read. In a time where libraries are under threat of being dissolved and defunded, my appreciation for an accessible area for free reads, free air conditioning in 100+ temperature, and free events has grown exponentially. Central Records Central Records is a cute little cafe and bar filled with records and books. It’s no secret I love attending events, and this venue hosts a lot of them. From benefit events for Palestine, mahjong nights and chess club, and weekly DJ sets, it’s a cozy place to see and support friends in their art. For a while I was leading the monthly mahjong night events and working with their staff was super fun and easy to do. Gracie’s Tax Bar It’s no secret Gracie’s is my local watering hole. Growing from a small little dive bar my friends and I used to frequent a couple years ago just for their cheese curds and tater tots to what has now become an insanely packed venue with themed nights, karaoke fundraisers, prize awarding game nights, flea markets, and of course, Phoenix-based live music and DJ sets.  Doesn’t matter what night you’re going during the week- something fun awaits. I’ve made many friends, heard a lot of stories, and genuinely found new connections just by waiting in line for the bathroom or sitting on the patio sharing a light. It may be crazy to call a dive bar a special place to call home but with a scene so uniquely Phoenix, I find Gracie’s to be irreplaceable.